A ground-breaking study by Harvard University's Harvard Forest and the Smithsonian Institution reveals that, if left unchecked, recent land development trends will undermine significant land conservation gains in Massachusetts, jeopardize water quality, and limit the natural landscape's ability to protect against climate change. The results of the study are summarized in the new report, Changes to the Land: Four Scenarios for the Future of the Massachusetts Landscape. The study used sophisticated computer models to conduct a detailed acre-by-acre analysis of four different land-use scenarios for the entire forested landscape of Massachusetts. This is the first time a study of this magnitude has been conducted for an entire state.

WHAT: News conference to release Changes to the Land: Four Scenarios for the Future of the Massachusetts Landscape

WHEN: December 11, 2013 10:30 am start time

WHERE: Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts Malkin Penthouse, on the 4th floor of the Littauer Building Garage parking across the street. Directions/map to the building.

NOTE: an additional conference call with the study authors for reporters unable to attend the news conference will be held at 12:00 NOON (eastern time) following the press conference.Call-in number: 1-866-890-3820 Passcode: 85875498#

To RSVP for the press conference and to receive the embargoed press release and executive summary of the report with a summary of policy implications, contact: Clarisse Hart at 978-756-6157; hart3@fas.harvard.edu

The Harvard Forest, founded in 1907 and located in Petersham, Mass., is Harvard University's outdoor laboratory and classroom for ecology and conservation, and a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site funded by the National Science Foundation. Its 3,700 acre property is one of the oldest and most intensively studied research forests in the U.S. Open to the public year-round, the site includes educational and research facilities, a museum, and recreational trails. More information can be found at http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/.

For additional information, or for an interview with the study authors, please contact Clarisse Hart at 978/756-6157 (9a-5p) or email hart3@fas.harvard.edu